UANI Resource: Perspectives on Lebanon and Hezbollah

Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah  June 14, 2019 Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah, is a UANI weekly resource highlighting developments in Lebanon and the activities of the terrorist group Hezbollah.   Hezbollah Internationally Drone from Lebanon Enters Israeli Airspace A drone from Lebanon entered Israeli airspace on Wednesday, before returning to Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement saying that it was tracking the drone while it was inside Israel. The incident came after earlier reports that Israel had carried out an attack on Tal al-Hara, in southern Syria, which - according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) - struck Hezbollah and Iranian positions. According to SOHR, the strikes killed 10 individuals, three Assad regime soldiers, and seven "of various non-Syrian nationalities," which could have included Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah Caught Stockpiling Explosives in London in 2015 The Daily Telegraph revealed this week that British intelligence caught Hezbollah stockpiling tons of explosive materials in north-west London in 2015, in a secret makeshift bomb factory. The details of the case had been a well-kept secret since then. The plot was foiled in the autumn of 2015, just months after the U.K. signed on to the Iran nuclear deal.  Shortly after the incident was revealed, an unnamed Israeli official told Kan News that the Mossad had tipped off the U.K. to the presence of the Hezbollah explosives cache, and that after its discovery, Hezbollah and Iran merely transferred their activities to other countries. The official said, however, that those were also exposed by the Mossad. Israeli Study: Hezbollah Laundering Millions in Drug Money Monthly A study released by the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya's Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy claimed that Hezbollah has facilitated the laundering of $200 million per month in drug money, and took back "at least 20-25 percent" of the profits - which it then spent on weapons, arms, salaries, and other organizational needs. Lebanon Internationally Iran Releases Lebanese Prisoner Nizar Zakka Iran finally released Lebanese national and U.S. permanent resident Nizar Zakka on Tuesday, after detaining him since 2015 on false espionage charges. Zakka returned to Lebanon and detailed his ordeal in Iranian prisons - which he called "the ugliest place on earth" - on several Lebanese TV networks, saying he was "kidnapped" and a "hostage." Zakka said he declined an Iranian demand to appear on video while incarcerated, which added another year to his detention. Zakka also said that during the first stage of his imprisonment, he was subjected to "all forms of torture," and then in the second stage, "the torture became mental and psychological." Zakka declined to thank Hezbollah for securing his release, despite thanking other Lebanese parties. Reports originating in the Fars News Agency alleged that Iran had released Zakka at the request of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. U.S. Official Returns to Beirut for Border Talks U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield returned to Beirut on Tuesday evening, reportedly bringing with him Israel's concurrence with a Lebanese proposal to not set a deadline for the conclusion of land and maritime border demarcation talks. Satterfield on Wednesday held separate meetings with Speaker Nabih Berri and Energy Minister Nada al-Bustani. Lebanon Will Not Attend U.S.-Led Workshop in Bahrain Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil said his country will not be attending the U.S.-led economic workshop in Bahrain June 25-26. The workshop is part of a broader U.S. diplomatic effort to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Russian Delegation to Discuss Syrian Refugees in Beirut Meeting Al-Joumhouria learned that a high-ranking Russian delegation will arrive in Lebanon early next week to discuss the Russian-sponsored initiative to repatriate Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. The delegation - comprised of Syria specialists who are also negotiating with Iran - are expected to meet with Lebanon's president, prime minister, and speaker of parliament. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.